Owner s Manual Cat. No

Transcription

1 fm Page 1 Friday, July 14, :30 AM Owner s Manual Cat. No Please read before using this equipment. PRO Channel Dual Trunking TrunkTracker Home Scanner

2 fm Page 2 Friday, July 14, :30 AM INTRODUCTION Your new RadioShack PRO Channel Dual Trunking Trunk- Tracker Home Scanner is one of a new generation of scanners designed to track Motorola Type I, Type II (such as Smartnet and Privacy Plus ), GE/Ericsson EDACS, and hybrid analog trunking systems, which are extensively used in many 800 MHz, 900 MHz and UHF communication systems. Trunking communications systems let a large group of 2-way radio users (or even different groups of 2-way radio users) efficiently use a group of frequencies. Instead of selecting a specific frequency for a transmission, the 2-way radio user simply selects a talk group. The trunking system automatically transmits the call on the first available frequency, and also sends a code that uniquely identifies that 2- way radio user s transmission on a different frequency called a data channel. Since the trunking system might send individual 2-way radio user s calls and response transmissions on different frequencies, it is difficult to listen to trunked communications using a regular scanner. The PRO-2052 monitors the data channel frequency sent with a 2-way radio user s transmission and instantly switches to an active frequency, so you can hear the call and response for that 2-way radio user and easily follow the conversation. The scanner also lets you scan conventional transmissions, and is preprogrammed with service-search banks for convenience. By pressing a single button, you can quickly search those frequencies most commonly used by public service and other agencies without tedious and complicated programming. This scanner gives you direct access to over 51,000 exciting frequencies, including those used by police and fire departments, ambulance services, and amateur radio services, and you can change your selection at any time. FEATURES Your scanner also has these special features: Flexible Operation you can track both Motorola and GE/Ericsson trunking systems (used by most trunking communications systems today), letting you hear more calls than many standard trunking scanners. Frequency Coverage to 1.3 GHz provides a wide range of frequencies you can listen to. Twenty Channel-Storage Banks let you store 50 channels in each bank (1000 total channels), letting you group channels so you can more easily identify calls Tandy Corporation. All Rights Reserved. RadioShack is a registered trademark used by Tandy Corporation. HyperSearch and HyperScan are trademarks used by Tandy Corporation.

3 fm Page 3 Friday, July 14, :30 AM NWR-SAME/Weather Alert you can set the scanner to sound an alert when it receives NOAA s Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) coded weather emergency signal, providing more complete information about weather conditions in your immediate area and letting you avoid hearing alerts for geographical areas that do not interest you. Remote PC Function lets you control the PRO-2052 from your personal computer. Five Scan Lists let you store up to 50 IDs in each tracking bank (up to a total of 1000). Triple-Conversion Circuitry virtually eliminates any interference from IF (intermediate frequency) images, so you hear only the selected frequency. Scan Delay delays scanning for about 2 seconds before moving to another channel in conventional mode, so you can hear more replies that are made on the same channel. In trunk scanning mode, it delays for about 5 seconds before moving to another ID. Lock-Out Function lets you set your scanner to skip over specified channels or frequencies when scanning or searching, and skip over IDs when tracking trunked systems. Priority Channels lets you program one channel in each bank (10 in all). As the scanner scans a bank, it checks the bank s priority channel every 2 seconds so you don't miss transmissions on that channel. Five Service-Search Banks let you search preset frequencies in separate public service, police, fire/emergency, aircraft, and weather banks, to make it easy to locate specific types of calls. HyperSearch and HyperScan let you set the scanner to search at up to 300 steps per second (in frequency bands with 5 khz steps) and scan at up to 50 channels per second, to help you quickly find interesting broadcasts. (The normal search speed is 100 steps per second). Data Signal Skip lets you set the scanner to skip non-modulated or data signals during scanning and searches. This lets the scanner avoid non-voice signals, making a scan or search faster. Manual Access you can directly access any stored channel by entering that channel s number. Liquid-Crystal Display makes it easy to view and change programming information. Display Backlight makes the scanner easy to read in low-light situations. 3

4 fm Page 4 Friday, July 14, :30 AM Supplied Telescoping Antenna provides good reception of strong local signals. External Antenna Terminal lets you connect an external antenna with a BNC connector to the scanner for improved reception of distant/weaker signals. Memory Backup keeps the channel frequencies stored in memory in the event AC power goes out. Key Confirmation Tones the scanner sounds a tone when you perform an operation correctly, and an error tone if you make an error. Duplicate Channel Alert warns you when the frequency you are storing already exists in memory. Disconnect Tone Detect the scanner automatically tunes to the trunking data channel when it receives a disconnect transmission. You can turn this feature off to continuously monitor a channel with a weak transmission during disconnected conversations. Your PRO-2052 scanner can receive these bands: Frequency Range (MHz) Types of Transmissions Meter Ham Band VHF Lo Meter Ham Band Aircraft Military Land Mobile Meter Ham Band VHF Hi VHF TV Meter Ham Band UHF Aircraft Federal Government cm Ham Band UHF Standard Band UHF T Band Public Service 800 except Cellular Band cm Ham Band Note: See Specifications on Page 68 for more information about the scanner s frequency steps. 4

5 fm Page 5 Friday, July 14, :30 AM FCC NOTICE Your scanner might cause radio or TV interference even when it is operating properly. To determine whether your scanner is causing the interference, turn off your scanner. If the interference goes away, your scanner is causing it. Try the following methods to eliminate the interference: Move your scanner away from the receiver. Connect your scanner to an outlet that is on a different electrical circuit from the receiver. Contact your local RadioShack store for help. Note: Mobile use of this scanner is unlawful or requires a permit in some areas. Check the laws in your area. SCANNING LEGALLY Your scanner covers frequencies used by many different groups including police and fire departments, ambulance services, government agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, military operations, pager services, and wireline (telephone and telegraph) service providers. It is legal to listen to almost every transmission your scanner can receive. However, there are some transmissions you should never intentionally listen to. These include: telephone conversations (cellular, cordless, or other private means of telephone signal transmission) pager transmissions any scrambled or encrypted transmissions According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), you are subject to fines and possible imprisonment for intentionally listening to, using, or divulging the contents of such a transmission unless you have the consent of a party to the communication (unless such activity is otherwise illegal). This scanner is designed to prevent reception of illegal transmissions, in compliance with the law which requires that scanners be manufactured in such a way as to not be easily modifiable to pick up those transmissions. Do not open your scanner's case to make any modifications that could allow it to pick up transmissions that it is not legal to listen to. Doing so could subject you to legal penalties. We encourage responsible, legal scanner use. 5

6 fm Page 6 Friday, July 14, :30 AM CONTENTS Preparation... 8 Connecting an Antenna... 8 Connecting Power... 9 Connecting an Extension Speaker Connecting an Earphone/Headphones Understanding Your Scanner A Look at the Front Panel A Look at the Display Understanding Banks Understanding Trunking Operation Turning On the Scanner and Setting Squelch Storing Known Frequencies into Channels Searching Service Banks Limit Search Scanning the Stored Channels Manually Selecting a Channel Deleting a Frequency from a Channel Priority Special Features Delay Turning Channel-Storage Banks On and Off Locking Out Channels and Frequencies Turning the Key Tone On and Off Changing Search Speeds Skipping Data Signals Using NWR-SAME and Weather Alert Testing Weather Alert Reception Trunk Scanning Types of Trunking Systems Setting the Scanner to the Trunk Scanning Mode Setting Squelch for the Trunk Scanning Mode Programming Trunked Frequencies Scanning a Trunked Bank Monitoring IDs Channel Activity Indicators Scan Lists Scanning the Scan Lists Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked Systems

7 fm Page 7 Friday, July 14, :30 AM PC Remote Function Connecting the Scanner to a Computer Setting the Remote Communication Format Turning the Remote Function On and Off PC to Scanner Commands PC to Scanner Functions List Scanner to PC Responses Scanner Mode Codes A General Guide to Scanning Guide to Frequencies Guide to the Action Bands Band Allocation Frequency Conversion Troubleshooting Resetting the Scanner Care and Maintenance Specifications

8 fm Page 8 Friday, July 14, :30 AM PREPARATION This scanner is designed primarily for use in the home as a base station. You can place it on a desk, shelf, or table. Your scanner s front feet fold up or down. Adjust them to give you the best view of the display. Your scanner s display is protected during shipment by a piece of film. Peel off this film before you use the scanner. CONNECTING AN ANTENNA Connecting the Supplied Antenna You must install an antenna before you can operate the scanner. The supplied telescoping antenna helps your scanner receive strong local signals. To install the antenna, thread it clockwise into the hole on the scanner s top. The scanner s sensitivity depends on the antenna s length and various environmental conditions. For the best reception of the transmissions you want to hear, adjust the antenna s length. Frequency Antenna Length MHz Extend fully MHz Collapse one segment MHz Collapse both segments Connecting an Outdoor Antenna Instead of the supplied antenna, you can connect an outdoor base-station or mobile antenna (not supplied) to your scanner using a BNC connector. Your local RadioShack store sells a variety of antennas. Choose the one that best meets your needs. When deciding on a mobile or basestation antenna and its location, consider these points: 8

9 fm Page 9 Friday, July 14, :30 AM The antenna should be as high as possible on the vehicle or building. The antenna and its cable should be as far as possible from sources of electrical noise (appliances, other radios, etc.). The antenna should be vertical for the best performance. To connect an optional base-station or mobile antenna, first remove the supplied antenna from the scanner. Always use 50-ohm coaxial cable, such as RG-58 or RG-8, to connect the base-station or mobile antenna. For lengths over 50 feet, use RG-8 lowloss dielectric coaxial cable. If the antenna cable s connector does not fit in the ANT. jack, you might also need a Motorola-to-BNC antenna plug adapter, such as RadioShack Cat. No Your local RadioShack store carries a wide variety of coaxial antenna cable and connectors. Once you choose an antenna, follow the mounting instructions supplied with the antenna. Then route the antenna s cable to the scanner and connect the cable to the ANT. jack on the back of the scanner. Cautions: Do not run the cable over sharp edges or moving parts that might damage it. Do not run the cable next to power cables or other antenna cables. Warning: Use extreme caution when you install or remove an outdoor antenna. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead power lines. If the antenna touches a power line, contact with the antenna, mast, cable, or guy wires can cause electrocution and death. Call the power company to remove the antenna. DO NOT attempt to do so yourself. CONNECTING POWER Using AC Power The scanner s supplied AC adapter lets you power the scanner from a standard AC outlet. To connect power to the scanner, insert the AC adapter s barrel plug into the DC 12V jack on the back of the scanner, then plug the AC adapter into a standard AC outlet. ) 6 9

10 ) 6, fm Page 10 Friday, July 14, :30 AM Cautions: You must use a Class 2! power source that supplies 12V DC and delivers at least 500 ma. Its center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanner's DC 12V jack. The supplied adapter meets these specifications. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. Always connect the AC adapter to the scanner before you connect it to AC power. When you finish, disconnect the adapter from AC power before you disconnect it from the scanner. Warning: Do not use the AC adapter s polarized plug with an extension cord receptacle unless the blades can be fully inserted to prevent blade exposure. Using Your Vehicle s Battery Power If your AC power fails (during an emergency, for example), you can power your scanner from your vehicle s cigarette lighter socket with an optional DC cigarette lighter power cable, (not supplied). To connect an optional DC cigarette lighter power cable, insert its barrel plug into the DC 12V jack on the back of the scanner, then plug the power cable into your vehicle s cigarette lighter socket. 10 Cautions: You must use a power! source that supplies 12V DC and delivers at least 500 ma. Its center tip must be set to positive and its plug must fit the scanner's DC 12V jack. The supplied adapter meets these specifications. Using an adapter that does not meet these specifications could damage the scanner or the adapter. Always connect the adapter to the scanner before you connect it to the power source. When you finish, disconnect the DC adapter from the power source before you disconnect it from the scanner. Note: If you use a cigarette lighter power cable and your vehicle s engine is running, you might hear electrical noise from the engine while scanning. This is normal. CONNECTING AN EXTENSION SPEAKER In a noisy area, an amplified extension speaker (available at your local RadioShack store) positioned in the right place, might provide more comfortable listening.

11 fm Page 11 Friday, July 14, :30 AM Plug the speaker cable s 1 /8-inch (3.5- mm) plug into your scanner s jack. Note: Connecting an external speaker disconnects the scanner s internal speaker. CONNECTING AN EARPHONE/ HEADPHONES Listening Safely To protect your hearing, follow these guidelines when you use an earphone or headphones. Do not listen at extremely high volume levels. Extended highvolume listening can lead to permanent hearing loss. Set VOLUME to the lowest setting before you begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust VOL- UME to a comfortable level. Once you set VOLUME, do not increase it. Over time, your ears adapt to the volume level, so a volume level that does not cause discomfort might still damage your hearing. For private listening, you can connect an earphone or headphones with a 1 /8- inch (3.5-mm) plug to the jack on the front of the scanner. (Your local RadioShack store carries a wide selection of earphones and headphones). This automatically disconnects the internal speaker. 11

12 fm Page 12 Friday, July 14, :30 AM UNDERSTANDING YOUR SCANNER Once you understand a few simple terms we use in this manual and familiarize yourself with your scanner s features, you can put the scanner to work for you. You simply determine the type of communications you want to receive, then set the scanner to scan them. A frequency is the tuning location of a station (expressed in khz or MHz). To find active frequencies, you can use the search function. You can also search the service-search banks, which are preset groups of frequencies categorized by type of service. When you find a frequency, you can store it into a programmable memory location called a channel, which is grouped with your other channels in a channel-storage bank. You can then scan the channel-storage banks to see if there is activity on the frequencies stored there. Each time the scanner finds an active frequency, it stays on that channel until the transmission ends. A LOOK AT THE FRONT PANEL Your scanner s keys might seem confusing at first, but this information should help you understand each key s function. Note: Some of the scanner s keys perform more than one function and are marked with more than one label. The steps in this Owner s Manual show only the label on the key appropriate to the action being performed. VOLUME SQUELCH Turns the scanner on or off and adjusts the volume. Adjusts the scanner s squelch. 12

13 fm Page 13 Friday, July 14, :30 AM SCAN MANUAL TRUNK SVC (service) PRIORITY/SPEED In conventional scanning, scans through stored channels; in trunking mode, scans through the scan lists and turns on/off the S-bit feature. Stops scanning and lets you directly enter a channel number or frequency. Selects trunk scanning or conventional mode. Selects a service bank; turns on/off the disconnect tone detect feature. Sets and turns on and off the priority feature; turns the HyperSearch mode on and off; in Trunking mode, programs the priority ID. Number Keys Each key has single-digit (0 to 9) and double-digit (11 to 20) labels. Use single digits to enter a channel, frequency, ID number, or bank numbers 1 to 10. Use double-digits to enter bank numbers 11 to 20. CLEAR / E (enter) LIMIT/ DELAY SEARCH L/O/SKIP (lock out/skip) Clears an entry; enters a decimal point; in trunk scanning mode, sets the range between fleet and sub-fleet for Motorola Type 1 IDs and sets the range between agency and fleet for Ericsson EDACS IDs. Enters frequencies into channels; enters IDs into scan lists. Sets the frequency range; sets the search direction and holds a frequency search. Programs a 2-second delay for the selected channel, a limit search, or each service scan. Also programs a 5-second delay in trunk scanning mode. Searches a specified frequency range to find frequencies; searches for active IDs in the trunk scanning mode. Lets you lock out selected channels or frequencies; lets you lock out a selected ID in the trunk scanning mode. 13

14 fm Page 14 Friday, July 14, :30 AM REMOTE/HOLD/ DATA/ALERT SHIFT Turns the remote function on or off; holds on the current ID in trunk scanning mode; sets the search direction and holds the frequency search. Turns the data signal skip feature and the SAME alert features on or off, or checks the current trunking bank in trunk scanning mode. Press with number keys to select banks 11 through 20. A LOOK AT THE DISPLAY The display has indicators that show the scanner s current operating status. This quick look at the display will help you understand how your scanner operates. LIST BANK PUB POLICE FIRE/EMG AIR 14 Appears with a number (1 5) to indicate the list number. Appears with numbers (1 20) to indicate the scan bank. Indicates (along with the activity indicator) that the scanner is searching the public safety service bank. Indicates (along with the activity indicator) that the scanner is searching the police service bank. Indicates (along with the activity indicator) that the scanner is searching the fire/emergency service bank. Indicates (along with the activity indicator) that the scanner is searching the air service bank.

15 fm Page 15 Friday, July 14, :30 AM WX TRUNK (activity indicator) SFT M E ALERT P SCAN MANUAL PRI HOLD DELAY DATA Indicates (along with the activity indicator) that the scanner is searching the weather service bank. Appears when the scanner is in trunk scanning mode appears as the bank number or list number. Shows which service bank is currently active. Shows which control/voice channels are currently active. Appears when the scanner is in the shift mode; flashes when the remote function is on. Appears when the trunking system type is Motorola. Appears when the trunking system type is EDACS. Appears when the weather alert is on; flashes when the scanner receives an ALERT signal or SAME alert. Appears when a priority channel is selected or the priority ID is set. Appears when the scanner scans channels. Appears when you set the scanner to its manual mode. Appears when the priority feature is turned on. Appears when the scanner is holding during a search. Appears when the delay feature is turned on. Appears when the data skip function is active; appears in the trunk scanning mode when the disconnect tone detect function is off. 15

16 fm Page 16 Friday, July 14, :30 AM L/O (lockout) SEARCH Error Appears when you manually select a channel, frequency, or ID that is locked out. Lights steadily during a limit search, service search, and ID search, and blinks while HyperSearch is active and when you monitor IDs. The arrow indicates the search direction. Appears if you make an entry error. 16

17 fm Page 17 Friday, July 14, :30 AM UNDERSTANDING BANKS Channel Storage Banks To make it easier to identify and select the channels you want to listen to, channels are divided into 20 banks of 50 channels each. Use each channelstorage bank to group frequencies, such as those used by the police department, fire department, ambulance services, or aircraft (see Guide to the Action Bands on Page 56). For example, the police department might use four frequencies, one for each side of town. You could program the police frequencies starting with Channel 1 (the first channel in bank 1) and program the fire department frequencies starting with Channel 51 (the first channel in bank 2). Service Banks The scanner is preprogrammed with the frequencies allocated by public safety, police, fire/emergency, aircraft, and weather services. This is handy for quickly finding active frequencies instead of searching through an entire band (see Searching Service Banks on Page 19). UNDERSTANDING TRUNKING In the past, groups that broadcast frequently, such as police departments, were restricted to transmitting on just a few frequencies. This resulted in heavy traffic and often required 2-way radio users to wait for a specific frequency to clear before transmitting. Trunked systems allow more groups of 2-way radio users to use fewer frequencies. Instead of selecting a specific frequency to transmit on, a trunked system chooses one of several frequencies when the 2-way radio user presses PTT (push to talk). The system automatically transmits the call on that frequency, and also sends a code that identifies that 2-way radio user s transmission on a data channel. You can set this scanner to monitor the data channel frequency, so you can hear both the call and response transmissions for that 2-way radio user and therefore follow the conversation. (You cannot listen to the data channel itself in trunking mode.) 17

18 fm Page 18 Friday, July 14, :30 AM OPERATION TURNING ON THE SCANNER AND SETTING SQUELCH 1. Turn SQUELCH and VOLUME fully counterclockwise. 2. Turn VOLUME back clockwise until you hear a hissing sound. 3. Turn SQUELCH clockwise, then leave it set to a point just after the hissing sound stops. Notes: If the scanner does not scan, turn SQUELCH further clockwise. If the scanner picks up unwanted, partial, or very weak transmissions, turn SQUELCH clockwise to decrease the scanner s sensitivity to these signals. If you want to listen to a weak or distant station, turn SQUELCH counterclockwise. If SQUELCH is adjusted so you always hear a hissing sound, the scanner will not scan properly. directories every year, so be sure to get a current copy. Note: To store trunking system frequencies, see Programming Trunked Frequencies on Page 32. Follow these steps to store frequencies into channels. 1. Press MANUAL, enter the channel number (1 1000) where you want to store a frequency, then press MANUAL again. The channel number appears. 2. Use the number keys and to enter the frequency (including the decimal point) you want to store. 3. Press E to store the frequency into the channel. STORING KNOWN FREQUENCIES INTO CHANNELS Good references for active frequencies are the RadioShack Police Call Guide including Fire and Emergency Services, Official Aeronautical Frequency Directory, and Maritime Frequency Directory. We update these Notes: If you made a mistake in Step 2, Error appears and the scanner beeps when you press E. Simply start again from Step 2. Your scanner automatically rounds the entered frequency to the nearest valid frequency. For example, if you enter a fre- 18

19 fm Page 19 Friday, July 14, :30 AM quency of , your scanner accepts it as If you entered a frequency that is already stored in another channel, the scanner beeps three times and displays the lowest channel number where the frequency is already stored. If you want to store the frequency anyway, press E again. Press DELAY if you want the scanner to pause 2 seconds on this channel after a transmission ends before it proceeds to the next channel (see Delay on Page 23). The scanner also stores this setting in the channel. 4. To program the next channel in sequence, press MANUAL and repeat Steps 2 and 3. SEARCHING SERVICE BANKS You can search for public service, police, fire/emergency, aircraft, and weather transmissions even if you do not know the specific frequencies that are used in your area. You can also store any of the frequencies you find into channels. Your scanner has the following preprogrammed service banks. PUB contains 140 public service frequencies POLICE contains 2,392 police frequencies FIRE/EMG contains 197 fire and emergency service frequencies AIR contains 2,319 aircraft and air service frequencies WX contains 7 weather frequencies To select a service bank, press SVC. (activity indicator) appears above the service bank s name (PUB, PO- LICE, FIRE/EMG, AIR, and WX), and one of the preset public service frequencies appear. After a 2-second delay, scanning begins in the selected bank. To select another service bank, repeatedly press SVC until appears above the name of the bank you want to use. Notes: To skip data signals (such as modem signals), press DATA. See Skipping Data Signals on Page 25. Because frequencies are not always assigned to the same services everywhere, you might hear transmissions from one service in another service bank. 19

20 fm Page 20 Friday, July 14, :30 AM Press SEARCH to start searching immediately or to continue searching if you want to skip a frequency. During service-search, you can press HOLD to pause the searching. HOLD appears. Press or to move up or down one step, or press SEARCH to resume searching. Follow these steps to store service bank frequencies into channels. 1. Press MANUAL. 2. Use the number keys to enter the channel number (1 1000) where you want to store the frequency, then press MANUAL. 3. Press SVC then SEARCH to select a service bank and begin searching. 4. When the scanner stops on a transmission, press HOLD. The frequency appears. 5. Press E to store the frequency into the channel. LIMIT SEARCH If you do not know a frequency to store, you can search for transmissions within a range of frequencies you select, called the limit search range. Then you can store any interesting frequencies you find into channels. 1. Press MANUAL, enter the channel number where you want to store a frequency, then press MANUAL again. The channel number appears. 2. Use the number keys and to enter the frequency that is the lower limit of the range you want to search. 3. Press LIMIT. 4. Use the number keys and to enter the frequency that is the upper limit of the range you want to search. 5. Press LIMIT then SEARCH. The scanner begins to search from the lower limit to the upper limit. 6. When the scanner stops on a transmission, quickly press either: E to store the displayed frequency into the channel. The scanner stores the frequency. or to stop searching so you can listen to the transmission. HOLD appears. To release hold and continue searching, press SEARCH. Notes: To step through the frequencies while HOLD appears, press or. Press then SEARCH to search from lowest to highest frequency, or press then SEARCH to search from highest to lowest frequency. 20

21 fm Page 21 Friday, July 14, :30 AM If you tune to a search skip frequency, L/O appears. See Locking Out Channels and Frequencies on Page 23. To skip data signals (such as modem signals), press DATA. See Skipping Data Signals on Page 25. SCANNING THE STORED CHANNELS To begin scanning channels, press SCAN. The scanner scans through all non-locked channels in all banks that are turned on, then stops on the first transmission it finds. When the transmission ends, the scanner resumes scanning. Notes: Channels with no frequencies are automatically locked out during scanning. To scan in the trunking mode, see Scanning a Trunked Bank on Page 33. MANUALLY SELECTING A CHANNEL You can continuously monitor a single channel without scanning. This is useful if you hear an emergency broadcast on a channel and do not want to miss any details even though there might be periods of silence or if you want to monitor a specific channel. Follow these steps to manually select a channel. 1. Press MANUAL. 2. Enter the channel number. 3. Press MANUAL again. Or, if your scanner is scanning and stops at the desired channel, press MANUAL one time. (Pressing MANUAL additional times causes your scanner to step through the channels.) To resume scanning, press SCAN. DELETING A FREQUENCY FROM A CHANNEL 1. Press MANUAL. 2. Use the number keys to enter the channel number containing the frequency you want to delete. Then press MANUAL again. 3. Press 0 then E. The frequency is deleted. PRIORITY The priority feature lets you scan through channels and still not miss important or interesting calls on specific channels. You can program one stored channel in each bank as a pri- 21

22 fm Page 22 Friday, July 14, :30 AM ority channel (for up to a total of 10 stored channels). As the scanner scans the bank, if the priority feature is turned on, the scanner checks the priority channel for activity every 2 seconds. Changing Priority Channels The scanner automatically designates each bank's first channel as its priority channel. Follow these steps to select a different channel as the priority channel for a bank. 1. Press MANUAL. 2. Enter the channel number you want to select as the priority channel, then press MANUAL again. 3. Hold down PRIORITY until the scanner beeps twice. P appears to the right of the channel number. channel every 2 seconds in each bank that is turned on, starting from the lowest to the highest-numbered priority channel. To turn off the priority feature, press PRIORITY. PRI disappears. Note: The priority feature must be turned off to use the data skip feature (see Skipping Data Signals on Page 25). Locking Out Priority Channels You can lock out priority channels. If you lock out all priority channels, P CH Loc Out appears when you turn on the priority feature. 4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the channel in each bank you want to program as a priority channel. To turn on the priority feature, press PRIORITY during scanning. PRI appears. As you scan the bank, the scanner checks the bank s priority 22

23 fm Page 23 Friday, July 14, :30 AM SPECIAL FEATURES DELAY Many agencies use a two-way radio system that might have a period of 2 or more seconds between a transmission and a reply. To keep from missing a reply, you can program a 2- second delay into any channel or frequency. The scanner continues to monitor the frequency for 2 seconds after the transmission stops before resuming scanning or searching. To program a 2-second delay: If the scanner is scanning channel-storage banks and stops on an active channel where you want to store a delay, quickly press DELAY before scanning resumes. DELAY appears. If the desired channel is not selected, manually select the channel, then press DELAY. DELAY appears. If the scanner is searching, press DELAY. DELAY appears and the scanner automatically adds a 2- second delay to every transmission it stops on in that band or limit range. To turn off the 2-second delay, press DELAY while the scanner is monitoring the channel or searching service banks or limit ranges. DELAY disappears. TURNING CHANNEL- STORAGE BANKS ON AND OFF You can turn each channel-storage bank on and off. When you turn off a bank, the scanner does not scan any of the 50 channels in that bank. For banks 1 10, while scanning press the number key that corresponds to the bank you want to turn on or off. For banks 11 20, press SHIFT, then press the number key that corresponds to the bank you want to turn on or off. Notes: You can manually select any channel within a bank, even if that bank is turned off. You cannot turn off all banks. One bank is always active. LOCKING OUT CHANNELS AND FREQUENCIES You can scan existing channels or search frequencies faster by locking out channels or frequencies that have a continuous transmission, such as a weather channel. Note: If you just want to skip over a lengthy transmission (such as a modem signal), see Skipping Data Signals on Page

24 fm Page 24 Friday, July 14, :30 AM Locking Out Channels To lock out a channel while scanning, press L/O when the scanner stops on the channel. To lock out a channel manually, select the channel and press L/O until L/O appears. Note: You can still manually select locked-out channels. To remove the lockout from a channel, select the channel and press L/O until L/O disappears. To remove the lockout from all channels in the channel-storage banks that are turned on, press MANUAL to stop scanning, then hold down L/O until the scanner beeps twice. Locking Out Frequencies To lock out a frequency during a limit search or service bank search, press L/O when the scanner stops on the frequency. The scanner locks out the frequency, then continues searching. To lock out a frequency manually, select the frequency and press L/O until L/O appears. Notes: The scanner does not display locked-out frequencies during a search. L/O appears when you select a locked-out frequency. You can lock out up to 50 frequencies during a limit search and 20 during a service bank search. If you try to lock out more frequencies, the first locked-out frequency is automatically unlocked. To remove the lockout from a frequency, select the frequency then press L/O. L/O disappears. To remove the lockout from all frequencies, while searching, press HOLD then hold down L/O until the scanner beeps twice. TURNING THE KEY TONE ON AND OFF The scanner is preset to sound a tone each time you press a key. To turn off the key tone, turn off the scanner. Then, while holding down L/O/SKIP, turn on the scanner. OFF beep briefly appears. To turn the key tone back on, repeat this procedure. on beep briefly appears. 24

25 fm Page 25 Friday, July 14, :30 AM CHANGING SEARCH SPEEDS The PRO-2052 has two search speeds for a limit search. To turn on the data skip feature, be sure the priority feature is turned off (see Priority on Page 21), then press DATA. DATA appears. To turn off the feature, press DATA again. DATA disappears. Normal Search 100 steps/ second HyperSearch 300 steps/ second USING NWR-SAME AND WEATHER ALERT To switch between the normal and HyperSearch speeds during a limit search, press SPEED. SEARCH flashes during HyperSearch. Note: You can use HyperSearch only in the 5 khz step bands (29 54 MHz, MHz, and MHz). SKIPPING DATA SIGNALS You can set the scanner so it skips nonmodulated or data signals (such as modem transmissions) during a scan or search. Note: Since data signals are not generally found in the air and VHF TV bands, this feature does not work in those bands. Traditional weather radios simply receive the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather broadcast (usually within a 50- mile radius), then sound an alarm if any emergency code was transmitted along with the broadcast. This means that people who live outside an affected area are often alerted even when their area is not affected, causing many of them to ignore potentially real weather warnings that can save lives. In 1994, NOAA began broadcasting coded signals called FIPS (Federal Information Processing System) codes along with their standard weather broadcasts from stations in your area. These codes identify the type of emergency and the specific geographic area (such as a county) affected by the emergency. Your scanner receives, interprets, and displays information about the codes so you can determine if the emergency might affect your area. Only SAMEcompatible radios (such as this scanner) are able to take advantage of this new technology. 25

26 fm Page 26 Friday, July 14, :30 AM Each FIPS code identifies a specific geographic area (defined by the National Weather Service), so your scanner sounds an alert only when a weather emergency is declared in that area. This helps you more efficiently track the weather conditions in and around your area. When a Weather Alert Occurs When the scanner receives a weather alert: it sounds a series of beeps an indicator appears The scanner also receives other weather-related signals such as test events (TSt appears) and other events (--- appears) Warning: The NWS (National Weather Service) uses sophisticated weather models to determine an alert s effective time. However, the end of an alert does not necessarily mean that the related weather emergency is over. Note: Once the scanner receives the SAME code, it retains the information in the scanner s memory. This information stays in memory even if you change modes, but is erased when you turn the scanner off. Understanding FIPS Codes For the purpose of broadcasting weather information, the NWS has divided the United States into regions by state and county (or parish, where applicable) then assigned a 6-digit FIPS code to identify each county or parish. For example, the code for Tarrant County, Texas, is The first State digit in a FIPS code identifies County/ the county Parish subdivision, the County Subdivision next two digits identify the state, and the last three digits identify the county or parish. Note: Most FIPS codes begin with 0, which means the code represents an entire county. The NWS, however, plans to eventually subdivide some large counties. When that happens, each subdivision will be assigned a digit from 1 9, resulting in codes such as , , and so on. Your scanner can receive all SAME alert signals broadcast within about a 50-mile radius of where you installed it. To receive SAME alerts and broadcasts about weather occurring only in particular counties within that area, you can program up to fifteen FIPS codes into the scanner s memory (see Entering Your Area s FIPS Code(s) 26

27 fm Page 27 Friday, July 14, :30 AM on Page 28). For example, this lets you avoid hearing an alert that applies to an area within a 50-mile radius but not necessarily to your county or parish. Note: If you do not program any FIPS location codes into the scanner s first memory (F1), the scanner sounds an alert if it receives a weather alert with any FIPS code. Obtaining Your Area s FIPS Code(s) To obtain the FIPS code for the location where you installed your scanner, contact your local RadioShack store or call the NWS toll free at NWR-SAME ( ). If you call the NWS, follow the instructions you hear. Note: If you are close to a county or parish line, you might want to obtain the codes for the nearby counties or parishes. Hint: Since you can program up to fifteen FIPS codes into the scanner s memory, you might want to obtain the code for other local areas that you frequently travel through (as long as these areas are within a 50 mile radius of your location and within an area covered by your local NWS broadcast station). That way, you can program those codes into the scanner and receive broadcasts covering those locations, too. Turning on the SAME and Weather Alert 1. Repeatedly press SVC until appears above WX. 2. Press ALERT. ALERT appears and the scanner is set to receive a SAME-coded signal. The scanner s audio is muted until it receives the signal. When the scanner receives a SAMEcoded signal, it sounds a series of beeps, ALERT flashes, and L3 (if the broadcast is a statement), L2 (if the broadcast is a watch), or L1 (if the broadcast is a warning) appears. After that, the scanner automatically tunes to the weather channel where the code was broadcast and you hear the weather broadcast. To stop the alert, press any key on the scanner. The alert sound stops and you hear the weather broadcast. Warning: If severe weather threatens, do not wait for an alert tone; turn on the weather broadcast and monitor the weather information. To detect a SAME-coded signal on a specific weather channel, press HOLD during weather search to stop on a specific channel, press or to select the desired weather channel, then press ALERT. ALERT appears. When the scanner detects a SAMEcoded signal broadcast on the weather channel you selected, it sounds a 27

28 fm Page 28 Friday, July 14, :30 AM series of beeps and L3 (if the broadcast is a statement), L2 (if the broadcast is a watch), or L1 (if the broadcast is a warning) appears. Once the scanner receives a SAMEcoded signal, it retains the information in its memory. This information stays in memory even if you change modes, but is erased when you turn off the scanner. You can switch to weather search mode to check the alert level. Entering Your Area s FIPS Code(s) 1. Turn on the SAME alert function (see Turning on the SAME and Weather Alert on Page 27). 2. Hold down E until F1 appears. 3. Enter the FIPS code using the number keys, then press E. 4. To enter another FIPS code, press or, then repeat Steps 2 and 3. Note: To clear a FIPS code you entered in Step 3 (while the code appears on the display), press 0 then E. 5. When you finish, press SVC. Note: If you do not program any FIPS location codes into the scanner s first memory (F1), the scanner sounds an alert if it receives a weather alert with any FIPS code. TESTING WEATHER ALERT RECEPTION For your scanner to effectively warn you about weather alert signals, you must place it where it can receive an emergency alert broadcast and where you can hear its alert tone. In the United States, the NWS broadcasts a test alert every week on Wednesday between 11 AM and 1 PM. To find out the specific test schedule in your area, contact your local NOAA or NWS office. These offices are usually listed in the telephone book under US Government, Department of Commerce. Important: The fact that you get clear reception of a weather broadcast signal does not guarantee that an emergency alert broadcast will trigger your scanner s alert function. Note: The NWS might not broadcast the test alert if there is bad weather in any surrounding area. Testing the Alert Beep 1. If necessary, repeatedly press SVC until appears above WX. 2. If necessary, press ALERT so ALERT is not on the display. 3. Hold down ALERT for about 3 seconds. The scanner sounds a loud series of beeps. 4. Press any key to stop the alert. 28

29 fm Page 29 Friday, July 14, :30 AM Testing NWR-SAME Code Detection 1. Turn on the SAME alert function (see Turning on the SAME and Weather Alert on Page 27). 2. Hold down ALERT for about 3 seconds. The selected frequency number and TESt alternate on the display. Then, when the scanner receives a test code, TSt appears. 3. Press ALERT to exit the test mode. 29

30 fm Page 30 Friday, July 14, :30 AM TRUNK SCANNING Your scanner is designed to track transmissions on Motorola Type I, Type II, GE/Ericsson EDACS, and hybrid analog trunking systems. Remember these important points when tracking transmissions: Your scanner monitors Type II systems by default. However, you can change this if the system in your area is different (see Types of Trunking Systems on this page and Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked Systems on Page 40 for more information). Your scanner tracks a trunked system or scans frequencies in conventional mode, but it cannot do both at the same time. The frequencies for many of the 800 MHz public safety systems are listed in the separate National Public Safety Trunked System Frequency & Talk Group Guide included with this scanner. TYPES OF TRUNKING SYSTEMS Your trunk scanning scanner can monitor three basic types of systems Type I, Type II, and EDACS. Instead of selecting a specific frequency to transmit on, a trunked system chooses one of several frequencies in a 2-way radio user s talk group when that user presses PTT (push to talk). Thus, trunking systems allocate a few frequencies among many different users, but the way Type I and Type II systems do this is slightly different. One important distinction between these systems is the amount of data transmitted by each radio when its PTT button is pressed. In a Type I system, the radio s talk group ID and its current affiliation (the trunk system it belongs to) are both transmitted. In a Type II system, only the radio s talk group ID is transmitted. Why the difference? In Type I systems, each radio in the trunk group individually transmits its own affiliation, while the trunk system maintains a database that determines each radio's affiliation(s) in Type II systems. Another difference between the systems is that Type I systems are arranged in a fleet-subfleet hierarchy. For example, it is possible for a city using a Type I system to designate four fleets, each with eight subfleets. 30

31 fm Page 31 Friday, July 14, :30 AM The fleets might be the police department, the fire department, the utilities, and city administration. The police might decide to further divide its fleet into subfleets such as dispatch, tactical operations, detectives, north, south, east, and west side patrols, and supervisors. All the available police radios would then be assigned to one of the police subfleets, letting the police centralize their communications and control the type of users on a single system. Determining the exact fleetsubfleet hierarchy for a particular area is referred to as fleet map programming. The disadvantage of a Type I system is that the brief burst of data sent when a user transmits must contain the radio s talk group ID, and its fleet and subfleet. This is three times the amount of data a Type II system radio sends. Since the data capacity of Type I systems is limited and the amount of data increases with each user, Type I systems usually accommodate fewer users than Type II systems. Nevertheless, Type I systems are still in use. There are also hybrid systems which are a combination of both Type I and Type II. Your scanner defaults to monitor Type II systems, but you can change to Type I or a hybrid of Type I and Type II systems by selecting a pre programmed fleet map or creating a custom fleet map for your area (see Scanning Type I and Hybrid Trunked Systems on Page 40). You do not need to determine the fleet-subfleet hierarchy for Type II systems unless you are tracking hybrid systems that contain both Type I and Type II systems. SETTING THE SCANNER TO THE TRUNK SCANNING MODE Press TRUNK to switch between the scanner s conventional and trunk scanning modes. SETTING SQUELCH FOR THE TRUNK SCANNING MODE The squelch setting can affect how fast your scanner acquires the data channel, and in some instances, can prevent your scanner from acquiring the data channel at all. Adjusting SQUELCH is necessary to track transmissions precisely. 31

32 fm Page 32 Friday, July 14, :30 AM We recommend you set SQUELCH to the position shown here before selecting a trunked bank. Note: Change this setting as necessary to get the best performance in your area. PROGRAMMING TRUNKED FREQUENCIES Before you program your scanner to track a trunked system, consider the following: Valid trunked system frequencies are as shown below. 32 Motorola system: MHz (in 12.5 khz steps) MHz (in 12.5 khz steps) MHz (in 12.5 khz steps) MHz (in 5 khz steps) Ericsson EDACS system: MHz (in 12.5 khz steps) MHz (in 12.5 khz steps, except cellular frequencies) MHz (in 12.5 khz steps) MHz (in 5 khz steps) You can use any of your scanner s banks as either a trunk scanning bank or conventional scanning bank, but you cannot mix the two. The scanner only scans one trunked system at a time. Although you can store frequencies for more than one trunked system in one of your scanner s banks, the scanner only scans the frequencies associated with the first data channel it finds. Before scanning a trunked system s transmissions, you must store the trunked system s frequencies in one of the banks in your scanner by following these steps. 1. Set the scanner for conventional scanning, then hold down TRUNK until the scanner beeps twice. BANK, TRUNK, and the bank numbers flash. 2. Press a number key to select the bank for the trunked system s frequencies. To select a bank between 11 and 20, press SHIFT then the number keys. The scanner displays one of six system types. 3. Use or to select the system type, then press E.